James john shedlock



7 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. J. SHEDLOCK.

APPARATU FOR MANUI'AGTURING ILLUMINATING GAS. No. 295,822. Patepted Mar. 25, 1884.

N. Firms Photo-Ulhognlpher, Washington. 0.0.

(N0, Mbdel.) 2, Sheets-Sheet 2..

JLJ. SHEDLOGK.

APPARAT US FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS. No. 295.822. Patented Mar. 25, 1884.

lhvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JAMES JOHN SHEDLOOK, or BARNET, COUNTY or HERTFOBD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FORMANUFACTURING ILLUMlNATlNG-GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,822, dated March 25, 1884.

- Application filed October 9, 1882. (No model.) Patented in Belgium June 24, 1878, No. 45,512,- in England June 25, 1878, No. 2,533; in France June 25, 1878, No. 125,278, and in Germany March 28, 1879, No. 7,257.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES JOHN SHED- LOOK, a subject of the Queen'of Great Britain, residing at Barnet, in the county of Hertford, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manu-. facturing Illuminating-Gas, (which has been patented by me in England, N 0. 2,533, June 25,1878; France, N 0. 125,278, June 25, 1878; Belgium, No. 45,512, June 24,, 1878, and Germany, No. 7,287, March 28, 1879;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use it.

Figure 1 is a front-elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation at right angles to the view given in Fig. 1

The object of my invention is the manufacture of gas from coal in such a manner that the whole of the volatile hydrocarbons given off during its distillation shallbe converted into permanent gases. The coal is treated in the usual manner in retorts A A A, set in an oven, B, and heated by the furnace G. The gas, as it is given off from thecoal, passes away through the ascension-pipes D D D into the hydraulic main E, from whence it escapes by the pipe F into and through the apparatus G. The gas is here divided into thin streams and is not only reduced in tempera ure, but is mechanically acted upon by frictional contact in passing through the apparatus G, so that the condensable hydrocarbon vapors are thrown down as tar, and at the same time ammoniacal liquor is formed The condensed liquids pass from the apparatus G by the pipes H H H into the vessel I, Where, by reason of the greater specific gravity of the tar, it separates from the ammoniacal liquor and falls to the bottom of the vessel I. A constant level of the liquids in the vessel I and the hydraulic main E is maintained by means of the pipes J J, the ammoniacal liquor escaping by the. pipe K to the store-tanks. The tar separated fromthe ammoniacal liquor flows over by the pipe L, the lower end of which is carried nearly to the bottom of the vessel I, and the upper end is connected to the top of the hood or cover M of the vertical retort N. This ver tical retort N is used as a decomposing-cham ber, being charged, as and when required, at the openings 0 O with carbon or other material which, when in an incandescent'state, has an affinity for oxygen. The tar, in falling from the mouth of the pipe L upon the heated materials contained in the retort N, is partly volatilized, and is in a condition to combine with hydrogen when in its nascent and highlyheated state. Water or steam is injected by the pipe P into the superheater E, which is made of a refractory and non-oxidizable material, and as the steam passes through it is raised to the required temperatureand escapes by the opening S into the chamber T, in communication with the lower part of the retort N. Any earthy or oxidized matter formed in the retort N and the chamber T may be removed therefrom by the door W. The superheated steam, in passing through the retort N, becomes decomposed, its oxygen combining With-the heated materials therein contained, forming carbonic oxide, and its hydrogen, pass ing upward, combines with the hydrocarbon vapors produced by the tar, forming carbureted hydrogen, the combined gases, carbonic oxide, and carbureted hydrogen passing oif by the pipe U into the hydraulic main E, where they unite with the gas first produced from the coal. The gases thus formed pass from the hydraulic main E, by the pipe F, through the apparatus G, and by the pipe V are conveyed to the ordinary condensing and purifying apparatus and gas-holders for storage. The solid carbon, which remains in the retort N after the volatile matters are driven off from the tar, combines with the oxygen produced by the decomposition of the steam, and in passing off with the other gases may, if desired, be separated from them in the purifiers.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the retorts for effecting the first distillation of the tar, the condensing devices, and tar-receptacle, of a vertical retort having a feed-pipe at its upper end connected with the tar-receptacle, and also an outlet-pipe for gas leading to the mains steam coil opening into the retort at its lower ing the tar-tank and retort N the Waste-dis- 1o charge chamber T, and the superheating-pipe R, substantially as shown and described. r

JAMES JOHN SHEDLOCK.

or pipe carrying the gas of the first distillation, the said retort being adapted to be filled with coke and connected with a superheatedend, as and for the purpose described. Vitnesses:

2. The combination of the retorts A, ascen- AUG. SPIOAUD, .sion-pipes D, hydraulic main E, condensers FREDERIO WILLOUGHBY,

G, with pipes H, the subjacent tank I, re- Clerks to Messrs. Oomerford d2 00., Public N0- tort N, and pipe U, the feed-pipe L, connecttar'ies, London. 

